Aerial tramway.



PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

F. I. NELSON. AERIAL TRAMWAY. APPLICATION FILED APB. 4. 1906.

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PATENTED DEC. 18, 1906.

I. I. NELSON. AERIAL TRAMWAY. APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. 1906.

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UNITED STATES FRED I. NELSON, or CHICAGO, ILLirTOIS.

AERIAL TRAMwAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1 906.

I Ap lication med April l, 190a. Serial No. 309.791.

To (ill whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRED I. NELSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cookand State of Illi- 1101s, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in erial 'lramways, of which the following isa'speeification.

My invention relates to a scenic aerial tramwa and articularl to a avityleas- Y, P 3 gr .P

urerailway '0 that type having a spiral trackway for the descent of thecars by gravity and in which means are provided for elevat the cars fromthe lower to the upper terminal of the trackway.

The object of the invention is to provide of this character embodying anlmproved track and car construction, as well as lmtproved means fortransferring the cars to an from the elevator.

The invention while primarily designed for largepleasure-railways mayalso be embodied in toys of thegravity-railway type.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of agravity-railway conend of the track for descent.

1 sho structedin accordance with my invention. Fig. Z'isasid elevationof one of the cars, g the track and means for suspending the cartherefrom. 3 is a vertical transverse section bn line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the elevator at the lower end ofits shaft and a car which has entered the same from the lower end of thetrack. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the elevator at the limit of itsupward movement and the car arranged to pass onto the upper Fig. 6 is avertical longitudinal section showing the construction and mode ofmounting the tiltin track-rail in the elevator. Fig. 7 is a detai viewof the brake device.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a suitable frameworkupon which is supported a looped or spiral track 2, having terminals 3and 4 at its highest and lawest elevations and provided at its tion witha depression 5, arranged above an artificial lake 6, into which thepassen ercars dip as they near the terminal 4. he track is of themonorail type, from which the cars are suspended,'and is form of achanneled rail arranged to provide track-surfaces 7 and 8, said railbeing securedat intervals to thejraipework l by depending'han er-arms 9,bolted" their upper. endsto the amework-egj p j at theirlower ends totlower per l a. rake. bar or shoes 28, suspended preferably in the*bear'; 29 on the rail may be of any preferred general type andconstruction, but are preferabl composed of a boat-shaped body 11 and ahood or canopy 12, secured together by suitable connectlng members 13.Each car is supported by a wheeled carrier comprising a. air of yokes14, connected at their lower en s by a union-bar 15, secured thereto byeyebolts 16. Sus ending-links 17 pivotally connect the eye olts andconnecting members 13 of the car and support the car in such manner asto permit it to swing freely in' following the curve of the track. Thearms of the yoke are provided at their upper ends with beerings 3:8 forshafts carrymg traction-wheels 19, which run upon the track-surfaces 7and 8 and are flanged to hold the yoke from lateral movement. The armsof the yoke also receive the ends of a stationary axle 20, extendingbetween the same and on which turn guard wheels or rollers 21, whichbear and run upon the under side of the rail 2 and hold the wheels 19 inen agement with the track-surfaces Each rol or 21 is mounted betweenspaeing-sleeves 22, fixed to the axle by set-screws 23.

Arranged adjacent to one end of the framework 1 is a tower 24, in whichoperates an elevator-car 25, adapted to be raised and lowered by anysuitable type of hoisting means, and disposed adjacent to said tower isa platform 26, located at the delivery-terminal 4 of the track, saidplatform being provided for the convenience of passengers entering andleavin the cars. A standard or post 27 supports t e track adjacent saidplatform, and the lower terminal 4 of the track inclines therefrom tothe elevator-shaft to adapt the cais1 to run from the platform bygravity into e elevator-oar.

For convenience in'stopp' the cars as th 1 successively reach the platorm 26 brake com rising em a postor standard by links 30 which adapt.the shoe to The into an out .of engagement with: the .wheels .of themechanism is provided, the same truck or wheeled. carrier. ofithe cantobring the same to a"stateof rest. wold the cars d stationaryduringtheadise ,,e and entry of passengersa ;mn oper atinggleirerriil isful crumed on the beam 28 and pivotally connected with the shoe, as at32, whereby the latter may be thrown into and out of operation.

Arran ed upon the elevator-car 25 is a tilting trac -rail 33, upon whichthe carrierwheels of each passenger-car are adapted to run and whichsupports the car while it is being elevated from the lowest elevation 4to the highest elevation 3 of the track 2. The

rail 33 is eccentrically hung from the frame oi the elevator-car 25 byan intermediate hanger-link 34, said link being so arranged that therail 33 is adapted to normally'drop by gravity to the inclined position(shown in Fig. 4) to aline with the terminal 4. The limit of movement ofthe rail 33 is controlled by pivotal end supports arranged on oppositesides of the link 34, each of said supports comprising a slotted link36, movably connected with a bracket or lug 37 by a connecting pin orbolt 38, having free movement in the slot of the link. The rail 33 isadapted to be tilted to the reverse position (shown in Fig. 5) to adaptthe elevated car to travel by gravity therefrom to the upper terminal 5of the track by a trip-arm 39, secured to the portion 3 and arranged toengage the adjacent end of the rail 33 when the elevator-car reaches thelimit of its upward movement. The triparm 39 is also adapted to hold therail 33 in alinement with the track-section 3.

On the track 33 and frame of the car 25 are dogs or detents 40 and 41,the dog 40 being arranged to swing in either direction and to be heldfrom swinging movement in one direction by a ivoted controlling-lever42, adapted to normally drop by ravity to the position shown in Fig. 4to hdid the dog 41 vertical and to be retracted by a trip-arm 43, fixedto the framework 1, when the elevatorcar reaches the limit of its upwardmovement to free the dog 41. The dog 40 is in the form of a bell-cranklever pivoted to swin toward the central suspending-link 34 an to folddown into the channel of the rail 33 and to be normally held projectedin the position shown in Fig. 6 by a spring 44, the outward movement ofthe dog being limited by a stopshoulder 45. The do 40 is thus arrangedto swing downward under the pressure of the carrier-wheels of a car whenthe latter passes from the terminal 4 onto the rail 33 and then to beprojected by its spring to normal position to engage one of the rearwheels and prevent the car from running back onto the terminal 4, whilethe dog 41 is normally held projected by the controlling-lever 42 toengage one of the forward wheels and prevent any possibility of forwardmovement of the car until it has been elevated to the highest point ofthe track-rail. When the elevatorcar reaches the limit of its upwardmovement and the rail 33 and lever 42 are res ectively engaged by thetrip devices 39 an 43, the lever 42 will be retracted and the rail 33automatically swung to its reverse inclined position, thus allowing theelevated car to run without interference onto the upper terminal 3 fordescent down the track 2.

It will thus be seen that my invention provides a railway of thecharacter described in which simple and efIective means are provided forelevating the tram-cars and controlling their entrance to and dischargefrom the elevating device in a convenient manner and little or noattendant labor also, that an improved type of track and wheeled carrieris provided to secure a free and easy running of the cars and to adaptthem to travel at high speed without danger of derailment.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In anaerial tramway, the combination of a frame having an elevator-shaft, anelevator-car arranged to travel in said shaft, an inclined tracksupported by the frame and leading indirectly from the upper to thelower end of the elevator-shaft, a suspended tram-car arranged to travelon the trackway, a rail arranged within the elevator-car u on which thetram-car is adapted to run w mm the elevator is in receiving position,and means for tilting said rail to discharge the car upon the upperportion of the trackway when the elevator-car has ascended to deliveryposition.

2. In an aerial tramway, a framework and elevator structure, apassenger-station disposed adjacent to the latter, an inclined trackwaysupported by said framework, said trackway having its upper portionleading to the top of the elevator structure and its lower portionextending past the passenger-station and inclined therefrom to the lowerportion of the elevator structure, a car adapted to run u on saidtrackway, an elevator arrange to travel in said elevator structure totransport the car from the lower to the higher portion of the trackway,and means carried by the elevator for arresting the motion of a carrunning therein, supporting the car while in transit and discharging thecar onto the upper portion of the trackway.

3. In an aerial tramway, a framework, an elevator-tower dis osedadjacent thereto, a passenger-station isposed adjacent the base of thetower, a gravity-trackway supported by the framework an having its upperand lower terminals leadin respectively from the upper end and to t elower end of the tower, said trackway being inclined from thepassenger-station to the tower, an elevator Within the tower fortransporting the car from the lower to the highest portion of thetrackway, and means carried by the elevator for arresting the motion ofa car running therein, supporting the car while in transit anddischarging the car onto the upper portion of the trackway.

4. In an aerial tramway, a framework including an elevator shaft ortower, a spiral traekway extending around the frame and connecting atits upper and lower ends with the upper and lower ends of the tower, anelevator-car arranged to run in the elevatortower, a suspended caradapted to travel down said traekway, a tilting rail within theelevatorcar adapted to receive and support the tram-car, and means fortilting said rail and setting the same into receiving and deliverypositions when the elevator-car respectively reaches the lower and upperends of the elevator-tower.

5. In an aerial tramway, the combination of an elevator-tower, aninclined trackway leading from the top and the bottom portion of thetower, an elevator-ear arranged to travel in said tower, a suspended cararranged to travel on said trackway, a support within the elevator forsuspending the car therein, means associated with said support forholding the suspended car against movement, and means controlling saidsupport to adjust it to receiving and adjusting posi tions, when, in themovement of the elevator, the support reaches the lower and upper endsof the traokway.

6. In an aerial tramway, a framework and elevator structure, apassenger-station disposed adjacent to the latter, an inclined trackwaysupported by said framework, said trackway having its upper portionleading to the top of the elevator structure and its lower portionextending past the passenger-station and inclined therefrom to the lowerportion of the elevator structure, a suspended tramear adapted to runupon said truekway, an elevator-cur arranged to travel in said elevatorstructure to transport the car from the lower to the higher portion ofthe traekway, a suspended l)1'illi0 device to engage the wheels of thetram-car at the passenger-station, and means carried by the elevator-earfor arresting the motion of a car running therein, supporting the carwhile in transit and discharging the car onto the upper portion of thetraekway.

7. A leasure-railway embodying a supporting-frame having anelevator-tower, a monorail leading in a sinuous )ath from the upper tothe lower portion oi the tower, a tram-ear suspended to travel upon saidmonorail, an elevator-ear arranged to travel in the tower between theterminals of the monorail, and means within the elevator-car for supporting the tram-car, holding the same in supported position, andautomatically discharging said car onto the upper portion of themonorail when the elevator reaches the limit of its upward movement inthe tower.

8. In an aerial tramway, a suitably-supported descending track, a caradapted to travel thereon, an elevator for transporting the car from thelowest to the highest portion of the traekway, andautomatically-eontrolled supporting means carried by the elevator forarresting the motion of a car running therein, supportin the car whilein transit and discharging t 1e ear onto the upper portion of thetraekway.

9. In an aerial tramway, a supportingframe including an elevator-tower,an elevator-car arranged to travel in said tower, a descending trackleading sinuously from the top to the bottom portion of the tower, atram-car having an elevated carrier to run upon said rail, apassenger-station adjacent the base of the tower, a rake device at saidstation to engage the wheels of the suspended carrier to hold thetram-car from movement, and means upon the elevator-ear to support thetram-car in position therein and automatieally disehar ing said tram-carupon the track-rail when tie carrier of the tram-car comes intoalinement with the upper terminal of said rail.

10. In an aerial tramway, a suitably-supported descending track, a caradapted to travel thereon, an elevator for transporting the car from thelowest to the highest portion of the trackway, a tilting rail upon theelevator, supports therefor adapted to normally hold said rail inreceiving position and to adapt the same to tilt to discharging position, stop means for holding the ear upon said rail, and means forautomatically tilting the rail to discharging position and retractingsaid stop means when the elevator reaches the highest point of thetrackway.

11. In an aerial tramway, an elevated tower, a track-rail leadingcentrally from the top to the bottom portion of the tower, a tram-carhavin an elevated carrier to run upon said trac -rail, an elevatortraveling within the tower for trans orting the tramear from the lowestto the iighest portion of the traekway, a supporting-rail within theelevator-ear tiltable to different positions to aline with the u per andlower terminals of the track-rail, ocking means cooperating with saidrail to engage the elevated carrier to hold the tram-ear in positionwhile in transit in the elevator, and means for automatically tiltingsaid supporting-rail and retracting the latch mechanism to discharge thetram-oar onto the upper terminal of the track-rail when the tram-earreaches the limit of its upward movement in the elevator.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED I. NELSON.

Witnesses:

LEON S. ALsoHULER, EDNA H. WALKER.

